1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a fire-safe waste disposal system for aircraft; and, more particularly, to an improved fire-safe waste container suitable for disposition in the bulk cargo hold of a large capacity passenger aircraft of the type wherein such bulk cargo hold is siutated at the aft end of the lower lobe in the aircraft fuselage below the aft galley. Because of the peculiar nature of the configuration of the bulk cargo volumetric space, effective utilization thereof presents unique problems; and, consequently, the present invention relates more specifically to a special configuration for a fire-safe waste disposal container, special restraints therefor to prevent shifting of the container during in-flight operations, and a particular arrangement for handling the container during loading and/or unloading thereof.
2. Background Art
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that most large capacity passenger aircraft of the type presently being manufactured tend to be somewhat rounded or oblate in cross-sectional configuration and become progressively smaller towards the aft end of the aircraft as a result of aerodynamic fairing of the fuselage. Generally, such aircraft are divided into upper and lower lobes by the passenger deck which, for purposes of this description, may be assumed to be in a horizontal plane. Thus, the passenger deck defines the floor of the upper lobe of the aircraft which is dedicated to passenger seating and such passenger service functions as galleys, lavatories, "carry on" luggage stowage, etc.; while also defining the ceiling of the lower lobe which is dedicated to cargo holds, bulk cargo holds and various equipment spaces. Generally, a large portion of the lower lobe comprises volumetric space which can be effectively and efficiently used for purposes of, for example, regularized stowage for containerized baggage and other cargo, as well as providing utilitarian space for equipment. However, the aft end of the lower lobe is commonly not prime volumetric space since the aerodynamically faired fuselage tends to rapidly converge towards the aft end of the aircraft with that portion of the fuselage defining the floor of the aft cargo hold tending to be inclined upwardly towards the ceiling and with those portions of the fuselage defining the aft walls also converging and being fairly rounded. Generally, such space is simply not suitable for stowage of conventional standard cargo containers, and particularly those containers designated as an "LD3" cargo container. Thus, such containers are generally too large to be located in the aft portion of the lower lobe and require rather standardized restraint systems for preventing movement of the container during in-flight operations; but, wherein such standard restraint systems do not find ready application within the peculiarly shaped aft end of the lower lobe. It is for this reason that the aft end of the lower lobe is commonly devoted to stowage of bulk cargo as contrasted with containerized baggage and/or cargo.
At the same time, however, such large capacity passenger aircraft tend to include multiple galleys on the passenger deck--for example, there is commonly a forward galley for providing service for first class passengers and for passengers located in the coach cabin immediately aft of the first class section; while an aft galley is commonly provided for servicing passengers in the tail end of the aircraft. Such aircraft have long had a problem with regard to the disposition of refuse and waste, and particularly the waste left over from meals served to the passengers. Thus, food and drink containers, napkins, utensils and the like are compactly stored prior to such time that the passengers are served; but, those materials must be quickly disposed of after the passengers are served and prior to landing. Time constraints generally prohibit the crew from carefully restacking the waste and refuse; and, consequently, the volume of space required to dispose of the refuse is often much greater than the volume occupied thereby prior to use. Therefore, a need has long existed for an effective safe means for disposing of the refuse. It had been proposed that such refuse be discharged by the crew members through chutes communicating with containers located in the main cargo hold of the aircraft. However, the FAA initially rejected such proposals because of potential fire hazards-- a serious potential problem recognizing that the waste materials will commonly include cigarette stubs or the like. Therefore, for a long period of time, refuse had to be stored in the upper lobe of the aircraft, sometimes leading to undesirable, unsightly, or unsanitary conditions.
However, one such proposal did ultimately meet with FAA approval; and, that proposal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,861--Ratcliff et al, a patent assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The Ratcliff et al patent discloses a fire-safe aircraft refuse disposal system which was primarily designed for use with, and is being used with, relatively large wide-body aircraft. Moreover, the system there disclosed was designed principally for location in the main cargo hold of the aircraft beneath the mid-ship galley. Such location permitted use of standardized LD3 containers which, unfortunately, were not rated as a "Class D" fireproof container. Consequently, the fire-safe aircraft refusal disposal system disclosed in the aforesaid Ratcliff et al patent provided for a special fireproof cannister which was loadable into the nonfire-safe LD3 cargo container in such a manner as to permit communication between the interior fireproof cannister and a waste chute disposed in the passenger deck and located in the aircraft's mid-ship galley. Because the fireproof cannister was disposed within a standard cargo container, and because the standard cargo container was situated in the main cargo hold, the container was readily restrainable in place in a completely conventional manner as disclosed in the patent.
Unfortunately, however, while the aforesaid Ratcliff et al fire-safe aircraft refuse disposal system is highly effective and approved for use in the main cargo hold of such aircraft, the system finds no utility in the bulk cargo hold. This is principally due to the fact that there is insufficient space within the bulk cargo hold to accommodate the LD3 container and its enclosed fireproof cannister; and, when scaled down in size, the resultant fireproof cannister within the scaled down container fails to provide sufficient volumetric space to effectively serve the desired function. Moreover, the upwardly inclined floor and converging wall configuration in the aft bulk cargo hold present special problems with regard to properly locating and restraining such a fire-safe container while insuring maintenance of a fire-safe airtight communicating chute extending through the passenger deck from the aft galley to the bulk cargo hold.